Calhoun in hole after being shut out by CC Moody

6:10 a.m. EST, May 5, 2012|Will Brown, Victoria Advocate, Texas

PORT LAVACA — Maybe it was the decision to break out the white cleats for the first time this season. Maybe it was the fact a full moon shined over the Sandies softball field. Perhaps it was the fact Calhoun's prom is Saturday night.

Whatever the reason may have been , Calhoun was flat in Friday's Class 4A area playoff game against Corpus Christi Moody. The visiting Lady Trojans scored four runs in the first before accelerating away to a 10-0 victory in Game 1 of the three game series.

"They got ahead of us. We were unfocused and we lost our heads," said Calhoun senior first baseman Summer Wunderlich. "We weren't in it like we should have been."

Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning, courtesy of multiple walks.

Moody's Alexis Urtado scratched out an infield hit to plate Deliah Pacheco. Meanwhile, Calhoun popped up and struck out to end their threat.

"They put the ball in play, they only had one good hard hit," said Calhoun head coach Daniel Castillo about the first inning.

"We made some errors. We gave it to them. That first inning I told the girls that they are going to come out here and if we hold them in the first inning it will be a whole different game. . They are a good team, and they will make you play to beat them. If we had gone out there and played it would have been a whole different game."

Freshman Jade Alford started the contest for the Sandies, but senior Marissa Snyder relieved her two batters into the game. Though Snyder was on the hook for three of the runs Calhoun conceded, she settled down after that.

Snyder retired nine of the next 10 she faced to keep her Sandies in it.

The problem was Moody pitcher Brittany Martinez (24-7) was dialed in as well. Calhoun had base runners in the second, third and fifth innings, but no one else reached scoring position after the fruitless first inning.

Nonetheless, Calhoun couldn't keep the dam from breaking.

Moody's Jessica Mendez led off the fifth with an inside-the-park home run to extend the lead to 5-0. It was the ninth home run of the season for the speedy senior shortstop-five inside, four outside.

"We knew we were going to have to hit the ball," said Moody softball coach Paula Salinas. "They are a great team. We did a lot of hitting all week and we were hoping those hits would hit some spots. We got lucky today that they were able to"

Salinas' team wound up scoring four in the sixth and another in the seventh to complete the rout. In all eight of the nine spots in the order scored, while first baseman Ally Johnson scored twice.

All season long Alford and Snyder have been picked up each other, and their teammates, in the pitching circle when necessary. They have contrasting styles and Castillo has trusted them both in big situations.

Moody will likely send Martinez to the bump again, with the hope she only has to pitch seven innings Saturday. Castillo said Martinez' dropball gave his girls problems Friday, but anticipates his team will adjust now that they have seen the freshman's pitching arsenal.

"We will have the timing down and we'll learn to sit back. They weren't calling low pitches so we can wait on those," Wunderlich said, eager to return the favor of scoring multiple runs in the top of the first. "Hopefully we'll stay back and rock that ball."

Their white shoes will likely be retired for the season. The moon will still be full tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Sandies weekend plans are up to them. Saturday's doubleheader begins a 1 p.m. at Cabaniss Field, well before prom is slated to start.